Differences are obvious in District 37 House race

Like the District 53 House race, the contest to replace District 37 Rep. Ed Boykin, R-Las Cruces, is a hot one.

A poll by the Democrats has their candidate, Jeff Steinborn, ahead by several points, party sources told me, but I have been unable to get the actual numbers. Republican Scott Witt isn’t doing polling, and is instead spending his money getting out his message.

In 2004, Steinborn received 48.7 percent of the vote against Boykin, despite jumping into the race late when another Democrat dropped out. Democrats are optimistic that they can take this seat from the Republicans.

The two candidates are very different. Witt, a retired U.S. Navy captain, is obviously conservative and is pro-life. Steinborn is liberal on many issues, most notably the environment, and is the Southern New Mexico director for the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance.

On his campaign finance report submitted Monday, Steinborn reported that he began the period with $6,751. He raised $33,400, and spent $21,346, leaving him with $18,846 in the bank. Steinborn also had in-kind contributions of $11,250.

His financing included $8,750 from various labor groups and almost $15,000 from Democrats, including in-kind gifts of $5,300 from the campaign of Gov. Bill Richardson and $5,950 from the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

Steinborn also had donations of $500 each from Conservation Voters of New Mexico and the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club.

“I am an environmentalist,” Steinborn said.

Witt started the reporting period with $12,548 in the bank. He raised $20,425 and spent $9,356, leaving him with $23,616. He also had in-kind contributions totaling $556.

Witt received $9,500 from the Republican Party of New Mexico and other elected Republicans. He also received four contributions totaling $2,000 from oil and gas companies, $1,000 from the Las Cruces Four Wheel Drive Club, $1,000 from Blue and Red PAC of New Mexico, $2,000 from Progress New Mexico, and $1,500 from the National Federation of Independent Business.

Steinborn said Witt is “the anti-environment candidate,” and said because of that, “big business and anti-environment money is starting to line up behind my opponent.”

“I’m concerned about it,” Steinborn said, adding that he believes Witt is “a proxy for these interests.”

Witt said Steinborn believes taking money from oil and gas or off-road groups is bad, but said Steinborn is wrong. He said anyone who would go to Santa Fe with such an attitude about any group “scares me.”

“Then you go to Santa Fe having already decided what you’re going to do and you’ll only listen to one side,” Witt said. “That’s not being a good legislator.”

This is Witt’s first run for office, but he said he has learned that those who donate to campaigns “give you money for who you are or what you believe,” not “what they can make you.”

“I have never had a single donor tell me what they expect from me or even hint at it,” Witt said.

Steinborn said his stance that the Paleozoic Trackways in the Robledo Mountains should be protected as a national monument has made him the target of the four-wheeling group that has now donated $3,000 to Witt’s campaign. Witt said Steinborn shouldn’t assume he sides with the four-wheelers.

“I don’t see eye to eye with those guys,” Witt said. “They do not want a national monument, period. … I think we can put a monument out there.”

Witt said he doesn’t think the monument needs to encompass 5,000 acres, as some have proposed, but said it could take 200-300 acres, and the rest could be left open for recreation.

Witt said he would not attack Steinborn for accepting donations from labor or any other groups. He said he doesn’t think it’s likely that the unions will donate to his campaign, but said he will still listen to them if he’s elected.